27 going on 8

I've recently puzzled over why I get along so well with kids. Considering my age and gender, could it possibly be due a misplaced maternal instinct?! Possible, but the more likely reason is that I am actually a kid trapped in the body of a 27 year old.

Here is my evidence:
-Wardrobe of a kindergartner (omnipresent ponytail, a predilection for graphic t-shirts, flip-flops), according to Lauren and Clay
-Love of arts & crafts. The messier, the better!
-Piggy bank on my dresser
-A overactive sweet tooth
-Mid-session temper tantrums (just ask my poor coach!)
-Overwhelming urges to splash in mud puddles (I do, but save it for the end of a run to avoid shoe slop)
-Occasional "fights" with Mark Fretta (another big kid), involving chucking objects at one another
-Indisputable need for naps, snacks and frequent exercise
-What I do for a "job" is what other people do for fun

On that note, I am off today to play in Madrid in the first WCS race. Unfortunately, the aforementioned Fretta is my travel partner. Hopefully we won't get thrown off the plane for juvenile antics!

The Case of the Cranky Pants

As Robby, my massage therapist in Colorado Springs, puts it, I have been frequently wearing my cranky pants of late. While there are many reasons for me to be in a slightly sour mood*, I've realized that I am slightly crankier on the weekends. Why the weekends? Well, the weekends, dear reader, are when triathlons take place. Triathlons that I am not competing in and am instead at home, feeling sorry for myself. I could have raced at PATCOs in Oklahoma City this past weekend (US swept men's and women's podium- woohoo!) or in the first WCS race in Teongyong a few weeks ago, but alas, I did not.

To be more specific, I feel like the kid who is sitting at the sidelines in gym class, watching everyone else play dodge ball and having a grand ole' time chucking rubber balls at one another. I'm not in the game, however, because I have a note from the school nurse, exempting me from play, or because nobody wanted me on their team (I wouldn't blame them for that- I have terrible hand-eye coordination). No, I am watching, not participating, by choice. I actually am choosing to sit at home with ants in my cranky pants, building up a bit more fitness and getting ready for the loooong season ahead. My next race, and first ITU race of the year, is the WCS race in Madrid in two weeks. While I am admittedly a bit nervous, I can't WAIT to be actually participating and not just supporting my racing friends from afar!

*Recent reasons may include, but are not limited to: overcast days, lack of nap and/or snack, a hermetic lifestyle that doesn't really suit me, an overly tight left IT band (fixed, thankfully!), too many lentils combined with hard running, the realization that I am a terrible basketball player and reading Jeffrey Sachs' brilliant, but depressing, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet.

Salt dough

Salt dough: a bit messy, requires anti-ballistic vigilance, but very easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. Here's the basic recipe:

4 cups flour

1 cup salt

warm water

-Combine the flour and salt. Add warm water in small increments, mixing thoroughly all the while, until the dough is the consistency of Playdough. Make sure the dough is completely dry before attempting to paint. For drying purposes, it helps if the dough is rolled thin but larger objects can be dried in the oven at a low temperature)

Sping art class

Earlier this week, I had the kids draw and color flowers that I brought in to the club. I thought that it would be a great way to incorporate a spring theme into a basic drawing lesson, creating art from observation. I was a bit surprised how difficult this was for some of the kids. Hopefully we will improve on this skill as time progresses!